Maybe he's playing a video game? Are you sure he's not building something? I know it's hard to try and describe a noise when you're not sure what it is. Try recording the noise and write down the time and date every time you hear it. Since it is happening during quiet hours, your landlord needs to take action. Check your lease to see if there's a quiet time clause. I know mine is between 10pm and 8am. It sounds like this is intermittent, but if it lasts at least 15-20 minutes and it's after 10pm, call the cops that way you'll have a police report to present to your landlord in case he decides to do the tenant-two-step or if your neighbor tries to deny your claims. Hopefully your landlord is a good one and will enforce the lease.

Thanks, Shiloh -- I doubt it's a video game, though. The guy is quite up there in years (post-retirement). I'm sure he's not building anything, either. It woke me up with a start on Saturday morning. It was the drilling, accompanied by music. So I'm pretty sure it's an alarm clock of some sort. I called the office on Friday afternoon and spoke to the landlord's daughter, who was very sympathetic and equally puzzled. Her father was away, but due back the next day. She said she'd make some calls and then call me back. She did, saying that she'd called the property manager and left a message, and then talked to her father who said he'd handle it. Supposedly he was supposed to be there on Saturday and would talk to him. Well, I still heard the noise over the weekend. I'll see what happens tonight when I go to bed and if I hear it again, I will call again tomorrow. I'm a tenant at will, so I don't have a lease. I've thought of calling the police, but I'm hesitant to take it to that level. If I don't get satisfaction, though, I will! It's to the point where I don't even want to go to bed because I'm afraid I'll hear it, so I fall asleep on the sofa and then I stagger into bed in the middle of the night when I wake up. Of course, I never really fall back to sleep soundly.

Have you considered just talking to your neighbor? Perhaps he has a hobby you don't know about and doesn't realize he is making so much noise (especially if he is older and hard of hearing).

Mike, this guy is not approachable. He has lived there 30+ years and believes he can do whatever he wants. He also has a propensity to play opera music VERY loudly. He's toned that down recently; someone must have complained long and loud because it's never been this quiet for this long. Oh wait, he replaced it with the drilling sound!

I hope I will be out of there by year-end.

Maybe he has sleep apnea and is using a CPAP machine?

CozyFarmhouse, that's what I originally thought but my friend who uses a CPAP says it does not sound like that at all. It's clearly an alarm, because I sometimes hear music along with it. But he lets it play and play and play....how can HE stand to listen to it?? It also goes off in the middle of the day, too. He's retired and home all day; not like he's working a swing shift. Just an inconsiderate a**.